1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a telescoping weather-resistant enclosure that expands to accommodate plugs and wire when necessary but can be compressed when not in use to reduce its overall dimensions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telescoping enclosures are well known in the prior art and are used to protect electrical devices from the elements and tampering. Typically a telescoping enclosure comprises a box-like structure with a hinged cover that is mounted on a wall such that it encloses a receptacle or other electrical devices. The enclosure usually has slots in the cover portion to accommodate wires that are attached to plugs that are housed in the enclosure when in use. In general, telescoping enclosures have covers that are height adjustable and which telescope to increase the available space within the enclosure, thereby allowing the enclosure to accommodate one or more plugs in the receptacle housed within the enclosure.
When the receptacle is not in use, and plugs are not connected to the receptacle in the enclosure, the cover can be lowered, thereby decreasing the height of the box and its overall profile. Some prior art telescoping enclosures are designed to be installed without removing the receptacles that they are intended to enclose. This is made possible by mounting holes formed in the base of the enclosure that are large enough to accommodate the mounting screws of the receptacle to be enclosed by the housing when they are loosened. Thus, in order to mount the enclosure, a user loosens the mounting screws of the receptacle to be housed within the enclosure, places the oversized mounting holes in the base of the enclosure around the loosened mounting screws and then tightens the loosened receptacle screws to secure both the receptacle and the enclosure in place.
While enclosures of the type described are beneficial and work well, some drawbacks in prior art enclosures are prevalent. For example, in some prior art enclosures that can be mounted with a receptacle already in place, the permissible range of movement that can be employed when trying to mount the enclosure on an installed receptacle is limited to that afforded by the linear extent of a keyhole screw mount. In a tight mounting situation, the limited horizontal or vertical movement allowed by a keyhole slot does not afford a user the flexibility required to fit an enclosure over an already mounted receptacle.
Another drawback related to some prior art enclosures is that in many instances the enclosure cover is mounted to its base by slots formed in the sides of the base which engage rails formed in the enclosure cover to allow the cover to slide along the slots, thereby modifying the height of the enclosure. While this arrangement is functional, the relatively close tolerances between the rails in the enclosure cover and the slots in the base can lead to binding when a user tries to expand the enclosure. A need therefore exists for a telescoping enclosure that obviates these drawbacks.